1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a pallet that is used for transportation of articles or the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
A pallet used for transportation of articles or the like generally includes a plurality of support columns and an upper deck and a lower deck that are respectively arranged to link upper ends and lower ends of the plurality of support columns. The pallet has fork insertion structures provided between the support columns to allow for insertion of forks of a forklift or a handlift.
The pallet may be equipped with a structure for preventing a positional shift or dropping of an article or articles mounted on the pallets. For example, a proposed technique enabling pallets to be stacked (pallet stacking) provides support convexes (support portions) that are protruded upward from regions of a peripheral edge of the upper deck corresponding to the fork insertion structures and forms regions of the lower deck corresponding to the inlets of the fork insertion structures to be recessed toward the inner circumferential side of the lower deck, in order to allow for insertion of the support convexes of the lower pallet (for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H08-207932A).
In the technique described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H08-207932A, however, in the pallet stacking state, protrusion of the support convexes of the lower pallet above the upper surface of the lower deck of the upper pallet is likely to interfere with the fork insertion operation into the fork insertion structures of the upper pallet out of the stacked pallets. It is thus desirable that the height of the lower convex is shorter than the height (thickness) of the lower deck.
Accompanied with the recent trend of weight reduction and thickness reduction of the pallet, the thickness of the lower deck is reduced.